{"id":11058,"date":"2019-07-26T20:25:37","date_gmt":"2019-07-27T00:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/library.ryerson.ca\/asianheritage\/?page_id=11058"},"modified":"2026-02-23T13:55:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T18:55:53","slug":"uma-krishnaswami","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/authors\/uma-krishnaswami\/","title":{"rendered":"Uma Krishnaswami"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Uma Krishnaswami was born in New Delhi, India and lived in Maryland and New Mexico before relocating to Victoria, British Columbia. Her books for children and young adults number more than twenty. She teaches in the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Vermont College of Fine Arts.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Chapter book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Birds on the Brain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Julianna Swaney.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2024.
Series: Book Uncle trilogy.
PZ7.K878 B57 2024<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Reeni is wild about birds! So when she and her best friend, Yasmin, have to pick a survey topic for a school project, asking their neighbors what they know about birds is an obvious choice. They are shocked to learn that no one \u2014 not one single person! \u2014 has heard about Bird Count India and the major event it is about to launch all over the country. Thousands of birdwatchers will be out counting birds as part of a global movement. Global means world, and isn\u2019t this city part of the world? How come people don\u2019t seem to care about the threats to city birds? And why is the mayor intentionally thwarting their city\u2019s bird count event?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reeni and Yasmin enlist help from Book Uncle, Reeni\u2019s family and even their school bus driver. They must get people interested in the bird count, get them to ask the city government to support the event. After all, what\u2019s good for the birds is good for all of us \u2026 right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A funny, triumphant story about learning to advocate for both the human and non-human inhabitants of your community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2025 City of Victoria Children’s Book Prize<\/a> (Winner)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Chapter book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Book Uncle and Me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Julianna Swaney.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2016.
First published by Scholastic India, 2012.
Series: Book Uncle trilogy.
PZ7 .K878 B66 2016<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Every day, nine-year-old Yasmin borrows a book from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has set up a free lending library next to her apartment building. But when the mayor tries to shut down the rickety bookstand, Yasmin has to take her nose out of her book and do something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what can she do? The local elections are coming up but she\u2019s just a kid. She can\u2019t even vote!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Yasmin has friends \u2014 her best friend, Reeni, and Anil, who even has a black belt in karate. And she has grownup family and neighbors who, no matter how preoccupied they are, care about what goes on in their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Yasmin remembers a story that Book Uncle selected for her. It\u2019s an old folktale about a flock of doves trapped in a hunter\u2019s net. The birds realize that if they all flap their wings at the same time, they can lift the net and fly to safety, where they seek the help of a friendly mole who chews a hole in the net and sets them free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so the children get to work, launching a campaign to make sure the voices of the community are heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Scholastic Asian Book Award, winner
2017-18 Hackmatack Children’s Book Award<\/a> — English fiction (Shortlist)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bright Sky, Starry City<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Aim\u00e9e Sicuro.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2016.
First published by Scholastic India, 2012.
PZ7 .K878 B74 2015 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Phoebe helps her dad set up telescopes on the sidewalk outside his store. It\u2019s a special night \u2014 Saturn and Mars are going to appear together in the sky. But will Phoebe be able to see them with all the city lights?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raindrops begin to fall, followed by lightning and thunder. Phoebe is filled with disappointment as she and her father hurry inside to wait out the storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But suddenly the power fails and then, amazingly, the rain and clouds disappear. Phoebe and her dad and all kinds of people spill into the street. And there, in the bright night sky, the splendor of the planets and a multitude of stars are revealed for all to see.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bringing Asha Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Jamel Akib.
New York: Lee and Low Books, 2015.
PZ7 .K878 B75 2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It’s Rakhi, the Hindu holiday special to brothers and sisters, and Arun wishes he had a sister with whom to celebrate. Soon it looks as if his wish will come true. His parents are going to adopt a baby girl named Asha. She is coming all the way from India, where Arun’s dad was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family prepares for Asha’s arrival, not knowing it will be almost a year until they receive governmental approval to bring Asha home. Arun is impatient and struggles to accept the long delay, but as time passes he finds his own special ways to build a bond with his sister, who is still halfway around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With warmth and honesty, this tender story taps into the feelings of longing, love and joy that adoption brings to many families. Readers will find reassurance knowing there is more than one way to become part of a loving family.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chachaji’s Cup<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Soumya Sitaraman.
New York: Lee and Low Books\/Children’s Book Press, 2003.
PZ7 .K878 C43 2003<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from Lee and Low Books website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Neel loves listening to Chachaji’s many stories over steaming cups of tea. Chachaji’s tales of great Hindu gods and demons and of his adventures in the Indian Army leave Neel openmouthed. But it is the tale of his great-uncle’s favorite teacup that teaches Neel the most, for Chachaji’s cup holds far more than sweet, spicy masala chai<\/em>. When the precious cup and Chachaji’s health both prove to be more fragile than they look, Neel knows what he must do.

Uma Krishnaswami weaves a gentle tale of family love and the power of memory, which Soumya Sitaraman brings to vivid life in her richly hued paintings. Chachaji’s Cup<\/em> will captivate and comfort readers of all ages, long after the last sip.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Closet Ghosts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Shiraaz Bhabha.
New York: Lee and Low Books\/Children’s Book Press, 2006.
PZ7 .K878 C56 2006<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Moving to a new place is hard enough without finding a bunch of mean, nasty ghosts in your closet. This looks like a job for Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, who can change shape in the blink of an eye and chase goblins and demons away with his thundering voice. When Hanuman answers Anu’s plea for help, Anu rejoices-until she realizes that those pesky ghosts don’t seem to be going anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uma Krishnaswami effortlessly weaves motifs from Indian mythology into this bubbly story of ultimately finding comfort in a new place, and Shiraaz Bhabha’s exquisitely detailed acrylic paintings glow on the page. The Closet Ghosts<\/em> is a treat that will delight and amaze any child who has faced a big change. . . or had ghosts in her closet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Grand Plan to Fix Everything<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrated by Abigail Halpin.
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Eleven-year old Dini loves movies\u2014watching them, reading about them, trying to write her own\u2014especially those oh-so-fabulous Bollywood movies where you don\u2019t need to know the language to get what\u2019s going on. But when her mother reveals some big news, it does not at all jibe with the script Dini had in mind. Her family is moving to India. And not even to Bombay, which is the \u201ccenter of the filmi universe\u201d (and home to Dini\u2019s all-time most favorite star, Dolly Singh). No, they\u2019re moving to a teeny, tiny town that she can\u2019t even find on a map: Swapnagiri. It means Dream Mountain, a sleepy little place where nothing interesting can happen….<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Happiest Tree: A Yoga Book<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Ruth Jeyaveeran.
New York: Lee and Low Books, 2005.
PZ7.K878 H37 2005<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Meena is excited about writing and making sets for the class play, an \u201cimproved\u201d version of Red Riding Hood. But when her teacher insists Meena be one of the trees in the forest, she is miserable. \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d Meena says. \u201cI\u2019m too clumsy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day at the Indian store with her mother, Meena sees a yoga class underway in the back. Soon Mrs. Vohra, the owner, convinces Meena to try the new children\u2019s class. Over time Meena learns to breathe slowly and deeply\u2014in, and out\u2014and to make herself quiet inside. She learns to move in smooth, slow movements. But at school during play rehearsals, Meena still has trouble being a quiet, steady tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The night of the play, Meena trips on her branches as she walks onstage. Drawing on what she learned in yoga class, Meena quiets herself and begins to move slowly and carefully. Turning near disaster into triumph, she becomes the happiest tree in the forest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Look! Look!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2024.
PZ7.K878 L66 2024<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When a girl discovers a slab of stone on a weedy patch of land, she calls to her friends, \u201cLook! Look!\u201d The children clear away the weeds and garbage and find more stones. They call their families to come and see and begin to dig around the stones. Word travels to villages nearby, and more and more people join in, until the digging reveals steps that lead down to an ancient well. At the bottom, there\u2019s even a little water! When the rains come, they cause an underground spring to flow once again, filling the ancient well with fresh, clean water and greening the surrounding fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lyrical writing and lively, richly colored art come together once again in this compelling story that embraces community, nature and the passage of time. Includes an author\u2019s note about ancient step wells and their potential to help handle floods and provide water.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Picture book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Out of the Way! Out of the Way!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy.
Toronto: Groundwook Books\/House of Anansi Press, 2012.
First published in India by Tulika Publishers, 2010.
PZ7 .K878 O98 2012<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A young boy spots a baby tree growing in the middle of a dusty path in his village. He carefully places rocks around it as the local mango seller rushes past shouting, “Out of the way! Out of the way!” As the tree grows bigger, people and animals traverse the path until it becomes a lane, flowing like a river around the tree. Over time, the lane becomes a road, and a young man crossing the road with his children remembers the baby tree from long ago. By the time he is an old man, the tree has become a giant. The city traffic continues to rattle past, noisier and busier than ever, but sometimes the great tree works its magic, and people just stop, and listen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrated by Abigail Halpin.
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis (from its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Dini and Maddie, very best friends, are back in the same country at the same time! Better still, Dolly Singh, the starriest star in all of Bollywood, is in America too. Dini\u2019s only just returned from India, and already life is shaping up to be as delicious as a rose petal milk shake. Perfect. Then why can\u2019t she untie the knot in her stomach? Because so much can go wrong when a big star like Dolly is in town. All Dini has to do is make sure Dolly has everything she needs, from a rose petal milk shake to her lost passport to\u2026a parade? And an elephant?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

New York: Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books, 2017.
PS8571 .R57 S83 2017<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Synopsis<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Nine-year-old Maria Singh longs to play softball in the first-ever girls\u2019 team forming in Yuba City, California. It\u2019s the spring of 1945, and World War II is dragging on. Miss Newman, Maria\u2019s teacher, is inspired by Babe Ruth and the All-American Girls\u2019 League to start a girls\u2019 softball team at their school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Maria\u2019s parents\u2014Papi from India and Mam\u00e1 from Mexico\u2014can no longer protect their children from prejudice and from the discriminatory laws of the land. When the family is on the brink of losing their farm, Maria must decide if she has what it takes to step up and find her voice in an unfair world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this fascinating middle grade novel, award-winning author Uma Krishnaswami sheds light on a little-known chapter of American history set in a community whose families made multicultural choices before the word had been invented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2017-2018 Asian\/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature<\/a> (Winner)
2018 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People<\/a> (Finalist)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fiction (Juvenile, Chapter book)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Sunshine Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Illustrations by Julianna Swaney.
Toronto: Groundwood Books, 2025.
Series: Book Uncle trilogy.
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Publisher’s Synopsis (From its website)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Anil loves karate, his friends and the solar power project he has been championing in his community. He doesn\u2019t love having to speak up \u2014 as his karate sensei says, best fight, no fight. Still, Anil wishes his classmate Mohan would stop picking on him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Anil learns where the city is planning to build a new solar panel factory. More sustainable energy is good news \u2014 but this factory will threaten plant and animal species and force the village people who live on the land to move. Maybe staying quiet isn\u2019t an option anymore \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A class assignment nudges Anil into action. Now he\u2019s a Young Reporter, so why not ask questions about the factory? With help from his friends Yasmin and Reeni, support from his classmates and neighbors, and the right book picks from Book Uncle, can Anil help the city find a solution that works for everyone? And just how loudly will he have to speak up?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A triumphant finale to the Book Uncle trilogy about the power of asking the right questions and listening when change comes to your community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Awards and Honours<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

2026 USBBY Outstanding International Books List<\/a>\u2013Grades 3-5<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Links<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Uma Krishnaswami’s official website and blog<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher Atheneum Books for Young Readers<\/a>, an imprint of Simon & Schuster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher Groundwood Books<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher Lee & Low Books<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uma Krishnaswami profile<\/a> by Inderjit Deogun in Quill & Quire<\/em> online (August 2024)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Uma Krishnaswami was born in New Delhi, India and lived in Maryland and New Mexico before relocating to Victoria, British Columbia. Her books for children and young adults number more than twenty. She teaches in the MFA program in Writing … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"parent":16,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11058","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11058"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21628,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11058\/revisions\/21628"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/library.torontomu.ca\/asianheritage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}